I wake

It's 4am

I wake

like clockwork

too hot

drenched in sweat

Needing to pee

I s t u m b l e

to the bathroom

then back to bed

now...

I'm freezing

I pull the blankets

up around my chin

close my eyes

and start to d r i f t

but a thought

wriggles in like a worm

unwanted

impossible to ignore

pushing my eyelids

o p e n

once more

it was Kyile's birthday

I forgot

I r e a c h

for my phone

set a reminder

-

I r o l l

onto my side

let my lids

s

e

t

t

l

e

back

surrender to sleep

f

a

l

l

i

n

g

into

its comforting folds

until an idea

CRASHES

through

the silence

sending me

bolt upright

it's garbage day

I need to get the cans out

I set an earlier alarm

-

I take a

d

e

e

p

b r e a t h

curl into a tight

ball

let s l u m b e r

envelope

me

t

u

m

b

l

i

n

g

into a dark void

when I fall into

another

ROAD BLOCK

I forgot to send that email

the report is late

...again

I set

another reminder

-

I r o l l

onto my other side

snuggle up

against him

slipping my icy toes

between his toasty feet

d r e a m s

wrap round

lulling me

p e a c e f u l l y

I find myself

d

r

i

f

t

i

n

g

through a still sea

c a l m & s e r e n e

until the current

pulls me

unbidden

into the RAPIDS

of a t e m p e s t u o u s

river

tossing me

b a c k & f o r t h

against BOULDERS

of invading thought

I forgot to pick up bread

what am I going to make

for school lunches?

the raft

j a r s

angrily

as it bounces

back

the car registration

is up next week

now

I'm

spinning

in circles

SLAMMING

backward

into

time to pay tuition

for next tri

water

splashes

up...

-

I wake

too hot

drenched in sweat

Needing to pee

I s t u m b l e

to the bathroom

then back to bed

-

it's 5am

I can still get in

one

m o r e

h . o . u . r

but now...

I'm freezing

I wrap the blanket

tight

and slip off to...

I forgot the deadline

for the last Vocal challenge